1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microfluidic chip containing a microfluidic trap formed of a microchannel and a manipulating apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microfluidics is a field in which a microchannel is formed by photolithography, hot embossing, molding, or the like in a microfluidic chip such that the movement or mixing of microfluids can be manipulated. When a single microfluidic chip includes a plurality of microchannels, the amount of the sample consumed decreases and the analysis time shortens.
Pumps and valves are needed to manipulate microfluid contained in a microchannel. In particular, a plurality of pumps and valves are required to manipulate a plurality of microfluids.
Microfluidic chips have become more miniaturized as micro processing techniques have developed. However, in order to achieve the miniaturization of a lab-on-a-chip, the sizes of mechanical pumps and valves must be decreased. Accordingly, there have been many attempts to find substitutes for the mechanical pumps and valves in microfluidics.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,878 discloses an elastic valve in a microchannel and a method of opening/closing the elastic valve. In this case, however, a mechanical pump is required.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,498 discloses a method of transferring fluid using centrifugal force. In this case, however, the centrifugal force must be adjusted, and portions having different surface tensions are needed to be formed at an inner surface of a microchannel.